Are You Selling Your Home?

​No matter what the reason is for selling your home the process of preparing your home for sale can take a few weeks or more. Here are a few tips:

1. Take a Detailed Look at your Home

Your home may look great to you but buyers will want to view it since he and his family will be living in it. So take a detailed look at your dwelling as if you were a buyer. Drive around your area and look at other homes as a prospective buyer would see it for the first time. Consider "street appeal;" does it need washing, painting or better landscaping?

Next, pull into your driveway and take a hard, detailed look. Is the yard mowed, trees and bushes trimmed and landscaped? What about the view from the front yard? Walk inside the house and size up the interior as though you were seeing it for the first time.

Make a note of everything that may turn a buyer off. Remember, the home's become a great place for you but a new buyer may see things that you don't.

2. Clean Out Clutter

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Before putting your home on the market get rid of clutter throughout home: closests, attic storage, cabinets, drawers, bath vanities, shelves, garage etc. This is no time to be sentimental: if you do not use it, lose it. Buyers are put off by clutter and a cleaner house even makes it look bigger and brighter.

Also, do not forget the furniture and fixtures when getting rid of clutter. Most of us put too much in too little space making the home look smaller.

Have a garage sale if needed and use the proceeds for painting or other repairs if needed or store it somewhere out of sight of a potential buyer.

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3. A clean, uncluttered home will have more appeal to a buyer.

After you've cleared out the clutter, it's time to really clean. Professionaly clean the carpets, strip and polish the floors, scour the bathrooms and laundry room, polish the furnitue, scour the cabinets, wash windows and coverings, spiff up ceiling fans and kitchen appliances. CLEAN EVERYTHING!​

Do not forget the exterior; paint or power wash everything that needs work.

4. Get More for Your Home: Repairs Pay Off

The next project is making all repairs needed to attract a buyer.

Patch up the roof, touch up all paint defects, repair screens, spruce up the porch framing and make your entry area shine. Water the lawn, trim bushes, get rid of dying plants. Inside, fix the grout on tile floors, adjust any doors that need it, cover stains and fix any plumbing problems before a buyer looks at it.

All repairs and cleaning beforehand will attract a much higher offer.

5. Putting Your Home on the Market: Show It to Sell it​​

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After you have cleaned, shined, mowed and whipped your property into shape it's time to attract a buyer.

There are other small things you need to do to attract buyers. When a buyer comes to look at your house open the blinds and turn on the lights. Be sure to remove all your kids and pets. They are cute, but a buyer wants to see your home only. Make sure your pet's litter box is clean so the home smells clean and fresh. Remember, you need to make sure that your home is available for showing a buyer with as little notice as possible.

6. Get a Sense of the Market​

Before you put your home on the market, take time to check out the competition: similar homes with similar prices. As your realtor I will help you in doing this.

Again, make sure your home is clean, uncluttered and fresh.

Remember, after location, the most important item to a buyer is a well maintained home. Many flaws can be overlooked if the buyer knows he can move in without a lot of trouble and expense.